What are the Consequences of Teenage Drug Conviction?

If your teenage child has been charged with a drug crime, it’s important to call a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Not only will your child need medical help to recover from drug addiction, but they might also need legal help to avoid a criminal record and spending time behind bars.

If you suspect your child is using drugs, it’s important to make sure they get the help they need. In addition to getting your child professional help, we recommend having a conversation with your child about how a teenage drug conviction can affect their life well beyond high school.

Being Suspended or Kicked Off Sports Teams

If your child is participating in their school’s athletic programs, they may be suspended or even kicked off the team for using drugs. According to a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, middle and high school students can be subjected to random drug testing. This law was designed to prevent teenage drug use in schools and make sure kids get the help they need.

Denied College Applications

Nothing interrupts your child’s dreams of college more than youth substance abuse. Most college applications require your child to disclose if they have a criminal history, which includes juvenile possession of drugs and other types of drug convictions.

Unfortunately, truthfully answering this question can give colleges a reason to reject your otherwise qualified child. A drug conviction can make it difficult for your child to get accepted into their first-choice schools. If you need help fighting a juvenile drug charge, we recommend hiring a drug crime attorney.

While there is a current movement to get rid of this stigmatizing question on college applications, we don’t anticipate any immediate change in how colleges process potential students. If your child has hopes of attending college, we recommend you hire drug possession lawyers as soon as possible to secure the best legal outcome.

No Financial Aid for College

Without financial aid, college would be cost-prohibitive for many students. Unfortunately, students with drug convictions are not eligible to receive financial aid from the government in the form of student loans and grants. Many scholarships will also not consider applicants who have been convicted of drug crimes. If your child is convicted of a drug crime, they may have a hard time trying to pay for college.

Difficulty Finding and Keeping Jobs

Employers are not supposed to discriminate against job applicants with criminal histories. However, this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still happen. One of the consequences of teenage drug convictions is that your child could be discriminated against when trying to seek employment. It’s not uncommon for job applications to ask about criminal history or past drug crime convictions.

Keep in mind that some jobs require employees to consent to random drug testing, which could get your child fired from their job if they test positive. A lawyer for drug charges will be able to help you get the best legal outcome for your child’s case.